The 2003–04 National Division Two was the fourth version (seventeenth overall) of the
third division of the
English rugby union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
league system using the name National Division Two. New teams to the division included
Moseley
Moseley ( ') is an affluent suburb in south Birmingham, England, south of the city centre.
It is located within the eponymous Moseley ward of the constituency of Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley (UK Parliament constituency), Hall Green and ...
and
Rugby Lions
The Rugby Lions RFC, nicknamed ''The Lions'', is an English rugby union club based in Rugby, Warwickshire. The club plays its home matches at Webb Ellis Road. Its developmental squad is known as the Crusaders. The club also has a ladies team ...
who were relegated from the
2002–03 National Division One while promoted teams included
Nuneation who came up as champions of the
2002–03 National Division Three North with
Rosslyn Park (champions) and
Lydney
Lydney is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is on the west bank of the River Severn in the Forest of Dean District, and is 16 miles (25 km) southwest of Gloucester. The town has been Bypass ( ...
(playoffs) coming up from the
2002–03 National Division Three South
The 2002–03 National Division Three South was the third season (sixteenth overall) of the fourth division (south) of the English domestic rugby union competition using the name National Division Three South. New teams to the division included ...
. This season would be the last using the league points system of 2 points for a win and 1 point for a draw.
In what was a very tight title race,
Sedgley Park
Prestwich ( ) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England, north of Manchester, north of Salford and south of Bury.
Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, Prestwich was the seat of the ...
Park pipped
Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...
to the league championship by just one point – with both sides winning promotion to the
2004–05 National Division One
The RFU Championship, 2004–05 National Division One was the 18th full season of rugby union within the second tier of the English league system, currently known as the RFU Championship. New teams to the division included Rotherham R.U.F.C., Roth ...
. It was quite a turn around in Nottingham's case as the club had gone from just escaping relegation the previous season to gaining promotion as the league's runner up. At the other end of the table, promoted Lydney finished bottom with easily the worst record of just two wins and a draw from their twenty-six games. Joining them in the second relegation spot were Rugby Lions who went down on the last day of the season by losing heavily to champions Sedgley Park whilst relegation rivals Rosslyn Park stayed up by virtue of their win against
Newbury Blues. Lydney would go into the
2004–05 National Division Three South
The 2004–05 National Division Three South was the fifth season (18th overall) of the fourth division (south) of the English domestic rugby union competition using the name National Division Three South. New teams to the division included Lyd ...
while Rugby Lions dropped to the
2004–05 National Division Three North in what would be the Lions second successive relegation.
Participating teams and locations
Final league table
Results
Round 1
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Round 2
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Round 3
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Round 4
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Round 5
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Round 6
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Round 7
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Round 8
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Round 9
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Round 10
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Round 11
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Round 12
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Round 13
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Round 14
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Round 15
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Round 16
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Round 17
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Round 18
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 21 February 2004.
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Round 19
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Round 20
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Round 18 (rescheduled game)
*Game rescheduled from 31 January 2004.
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Round 21
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 5 March 2004.
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 6 March 2004.
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Round 21 (rescheduled games)
*Game rescheduled from 28 February 2004.
*Game rescheduled from 28 February 2004.
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Round 22
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Round 23
*Postponed. Game rescheduled to 27 March 2004.
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Round 23 (rescheduled game)
*Game rescheduled from 20 March 2004.
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Round 24
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Round 25
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Round 26
Total season attendances
Individual statistics
* Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals.
Top points scorers
Top try scorers
Season records
Team
;Largest home win — 91 pts
91 - 0 Nuneaton at home to Lydney on 24 January 2004
;Largest away win — 43 pts
58 - 15 Nottingham away to Lydney on 20 December 2003
;Most points scored — 91 pts
91 - 0 Nuneaton at home to Lydney on 24 January 2004
;Most tries in a match — 15
Nuneaton at home to Lydney on 24 January 2004
;Most conversions in a match — 8
Nuneaton at home to Lydney on 24 January 2004
;Most penalties in a match — 8
Stourbridge at home to Rosslyn Park on 25 October 2003
;Most drop goals in a match — 2
Bracknell away to Sedgley Park on 29 November 2003
Player
;Most points in a match — 32
Sam Howard
Sam James Howard (born March 5, 1993) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Amateur career
Howard attended Cartersville High ...
for Rosslyn Park at home to Bracknell on 3 January 2004
;Most tries in a match — 5
John Carter for Doncaster at home to Lydney on 7 February 2004
;Most conversions in a match — 8
Peter Glackin for Nuneaton at home to Lydney on 24 January 2004
;Most penalties in a match — 8
Ben Harvey for Stourbridge at home to Rosslyn Park on 25 October 2003
;Most drop goals in a match — 2
Neil Hallett
Neil Hallett (born John W. Neil; 30 June 1924 – 5 December 2004) was a Belgian-born English actor. His stage name was taken from a combination of his proper surname, Neil, and his grandmother's maiden name, Hallet.
He began his acting care ...
for Bracknell away to Sedgley Park on 29 November 2003
Attendances
;Highest — 1,495
Nottingham at home to Lydney on 10 April 2004
;Lowest — 150
Bracknell at home to Rugby Lions on 6 September 2003
;Highest Average Attendance — 798
Nottingham
;Lowest Average Attendance — 150
Bracknell
See also
*
English Rugby Union Leagues
*
English rugby union system
Men's Rugby union in England consists of 106 leagues, which includes professional leagues at the highest level, down to amateur regional leagues. Promotion and relegation are in place throughout the system.
Women's Rugby union in England consi ...
*
Rugby union in England
Rugby union in England is one of the leading professional and recreational team sports. In 1871 the Rugby Football Union, the governing body for rugby union in England, was formed by 21 rugby clubs, and the first international match, which invol ...
References
External links
NCA Rugby
{{DEFAULTSORT:2003-04 National League 1
National
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, c ...
National League 1 seasons